Arm protective knitted articles of clothing

ABSTRACT

Arm protective knitted articles of clothing that are constructed with a component of a protective ruched barrier that prevents wind from entering the gap that forms in the sleeve opening at the bottom of a coat or jacket sleeve. The protective knitted articles of clothing are constructed of a palm or hand cover at the bottom end, an elongated sleeve that is ruched and tacked at the middle of the garment and a rib at the top end. The construction of the finished article of clothing is a one-piece knitting operation consisting of palm/hand covering, elongated sleeve and ribbed top end. The ruching and tacking of the elongated sleeve are additional sewing operations. The protective ruched barrier located above the palm/handing covering and below the ribbed top end fills the space between the hand covering and the coat or jacket sleeve opening.

1. A wind blocking arm protective garment, consisting essentially of:

a) a one-piece garment consisting of an elongated tubular sleeve of knitted material that has been evenly ruched with a thread and tacked to remain stationary after ruching, said sleeve having a pair of opposite ends, the bottom end for slipping over a hand and arm of a person and for receiving and enclosing the arm in said ruched sleeve up to the opposite and top end which is knitted ribbing.

b) the end for slipping over a hand and arm is constructed as a knitted palm covering rib, a fingerless glove, a fingered glove or a mitten.

c) the opposite and top end is knitted ribbing, the ribbing providing elasticity to hug the arm at the opposite/top end.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the ruched portion of said one-piece garment is capable of blocking wind that would enter the gap between a coat or jacket sleeve opening and the arm.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective arm coverings in particular to a knitted wind blocker provided by a protective ruched barrier attached to a palm/hand covering that provides protection against the wind and cold for people who wear this protective knitted article of clothing.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

There are numerous prior patents disclosing various types of arm warmers and arm warming devises. Prior patents provide arm warming for specific industries and activities, while others provide warmth by utilizing highly technical construction. Some representative examples of garments are:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,324 to Lassiter—This invention is a Cold Weather Glove System With Tactile Improvement. It is a combination of stiff materials used for each of the finger pads, transmission systems, and external response surface pads. It permits the retention of the bulk necessary from providing thermal characteristics while imparting to the glove a desirable increase in tactile sensitivity.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,546 to Vita—This invention is an Arm Warmer Garment. It is specifically invented for an athlete. “An arm warmer garment worn on an arm of al athlete to retain a substantial amount of body heat comprising a protective flexible sleeve adapted to cover the arm of the athlete from a wrist all the way up to a shoulder.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,014 to Cooper—This invention is a knitted arm warmer invented specifically for bicyclers. It is a knitted arm warmer “formed of a tubular and circularly knitted fabric which includes a wrist cuff, a tapered arm portion and a binder portion, the binder portion extending slightly above the bicep of the arm of the wearer to hold the member securely in place.”

The present invention is a simple process of knitting a one-piece garment with a ruched barrier to prevent wind and other weather elements from entering the sleeve gap of a coat or jacket. It is invented for use by the general consumer, even though it may also be useful for industrial purposes as well. It is invented for inexpensive every day use by any one who desires to use it for the purpose of blocking out wind. It can be manufactured using existing glove machinery that is modified to make the sleeve that will be ruched by sewing at a later time during the manufacturing process. It can be made more fashionable by the use of colored yarns, knitted patterns (i.e., argyles). It can be made more functional and/or desirable by specific content of yarns (i.e., performance chemicals, wool, cashmere).

It can be manufactured as inexpensively or an expensively as the market or consumer desires based on the yarns and yarn embellishments used in manufacturing.

The present invention can be further enhanced by the implementation of chemically treated yarns for water repellency and/or quick drying, which would further protect the user of this invention from rain, snow and sleet.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is a knitted article of clothing formed of a tubular and circularly knitted fabric which included a palm/hand covering, a center sleeve that has been ruched (plaited/gathered) and secured with by tacking and a top portion that is a rib. The ruched portion can be worn inside or outside of the sleeve opening of a coat or jacket depending on the width of the sleeve opening and the desired visual effect

It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology herein are for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled and knowledgeable in the industry and art will appreciate the concepts upon which this disclosure is based and that it may readily be utilized as the basis for designating other methods and systems for carrying out the purpose of this development. It is important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of how the elongated sleeve on the arm protective garment is stitched before ruching. In costume, ruching is the name given to when the fabric is drawn up with a thread or drawstring to create a full, gathered effect. An evenly spaced vertical shirring/basting stitch runs through the elongated sleeve from the top of the bottom rib to the bottom of the top rib.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the partially gathered (ruched) elongated sleeve of the arm protective knitted garment (5-6).

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the finished arm protective garment after the elongated sleeve is ruched and made stationary by tacking at the top of the bottom rib and the bottom of the top rib (7,8,9).

FIG. 4 is a front view of the one-piece arm protective knitted article of clothing featuring an elongated sleeve portion (12) that will be subsequently ruched and tacked from the bottom of the top rib to the top of the bottom rib to create a protective barrier from the wind.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the arm protective knitted article of clothing in segments (32,33,34,35). The segments are inclusive of hand covering (35), bottom rib (34), elongated sleeve (33) and top rib (32).

FIG. 6 is a front view of the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing constructed with a five-fingered glove hand covering (18).

FIG. 7 is a front view of the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing constructed with a mitten hand covering (22).

FIG. 8 is a front view of the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a finger-less glove hand covering (26).

FIG. 9 is a front view of the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a rib at the bottom end constructed to cover the wearer's palm (29).

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of the protective knitted article of clothing comprising the present invention where protective ruched barrier is worn on the inside of the cuff of the wearer's coat or jacket (30).

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of the protective knitted article of clothing comprising the present invention where protective ruched barrier is worn on the outside of the cuff of the wearer's coat or jacket (31).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The process of constructing the present invention, which comprises an arm protective knitted article of clothing, is the knitting of a tubular circular knitted garment as shown in FIG. 1. This tubular knitted member manufactured on a circular knitting machine that is used for the manufacturing knitted gloves. The knitting machine's computer program and/or mechanical specifications can be altered to manufacture the bottom rib, the elongated sleeve and the top rib. This tubular garment is comprised of a hand covering, a rib that is constructed to hug the wrist 4, an elongated sleeve portion 2, and a top rib 1 that is constructed to hug the arm.

The next operation is the application of an evenly spaced vertical shirring or basting stitch 3, that runs in vertical rows from the top of the bottom (wrist) rib 4, to the bottom of the top arm rib 1.

FIG. 2 shows a partially ruched elongated sleeve. The threads used for the shirring/basting stitch 5 are pulled from either the top or bottom end to draw up or gather (ruching) the elongated sleeve portion 6. The thread used for the shirring/basting can be of either the elastic or non-elastic type of thread depending on the desired finished look.

FIG. 3 is the finished arm protective article of clothing. The desired bulk is achieved 8 and the ruched component is made stationary by tacking (holding in place) the basting or shirring stitch at the top of the bottom rib 9 and to bottom of the top rib 7. The tacking process can be achieved by backstitching or by tacking equipment. The shirring, ruching and tacking operation may be achieved as a one-step operation with automatic equipment used for making ruffles or pleats on women's' garments or it may be done as a three step operation of sewing, FIG. 1 (3), ruching, FIG. 2 (6) and tacking, FIG. 3 (7 and 9)

The knitted tubular garment FIG. 4 that is the base construction for this invention is a low cost knitting operation. It is a one-piece tubular circular knitted article of clothing comprised of a hand covering portion 14, a wrist rib 13, an elongated sleeve portion 12, and an arm rib 11. This low-cost knitting operation is achievable by the use of knitting equipment used to manufacture knitted gloves, where the equipment has been modified and/or where computer data has been introduced to make all components inclusive of the hand cover 14, the wrist rib 13, the elongated sleeve portion 12, and the top rib 11.

The present protective article of clothing can be manufactured of one yarn in one color or it can be manufactured using varied colors of yarns on each component of the garment. Yarns can be changed during the manufacturing process to make the hand covering 14 in a particular color, the rib 13 in a particular color, the elongated sleeve 12 in a particular color and the end rib 11 in a particular color.

The present protective article of clothing can be manufactured using jacquard knitting equipment and/or striped pattern knitting equipment to produce patterns and designs on any and all components of the present invention, inclusive of the hand covering 14, the wrist rib 13, the elongated sleeve 12 and the end rib 11.

The one-piece manufacturing process of this invention is cost effective and invented for mass manufacturing. This arm protective knitted article of clothing can also be made in segments as shown in FIG. 5. This invention can be manufactured as a cut and sew knitted article of clothing if a particular manufacturer desires this method. The segments would include hand/palm covering 35, lower rib 34, elongated sleeve 33, and top rib 32. A manufacturer/designer may opt to make this invention in segments to incorporate differential yarns, finishes and embellishments in each component. The segmented method of manufacturing would also allow for the hand covering to be made of a yarn treated with water repellent chemicals which may change the texture of the yarn, making the hand covering component stiffer to touch and feel. Under this circumstance, the balance of the garment would not require the added expense as well as the stiffer touch and feel of a treated yarn.

The wind protective barrier made by the bottom rib, the ruching of the elongated sleeve and the top rib is the primary and functional part of this invention. The style of hand covering can and may vary. FIG. 6 shows the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a five fingered hand covering; FIG. 7 shows the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a mitten hand covering, FIG. 8 shows the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a finger-less glove hand covering and FIG. 9 shows the finished arm protective knitted article of clothing with a rib that extends to cover the palm, but does not cover the fingers.

This invention is garment that will prevent wind from coming through the gap that forms between a gloved or ungloved hand and the sleeve opening of a hemmed sleeved coat or jacket. The wearer of this garment may opt to wear the ruched wind protective barrier inside of the sleeve (FIG. 10) or the wearer of this garment may opt to wear the ruched wind protective barrier outside of the sleeve as depicted in FIG. 11.

This invention is a utilitarian garment. It also becomes a fashion accessory when it is manufactured in a fashionable solid color palette; when it is color-blocked in a combination of colors; when it is knitted in particular fashion patterns and/or stripes or knitted of particular knitted yarns (i.e., cashmere or Lurex). Even though this arm protective article of clothing that blocks wind is invented with women in mind, this inventor expects that it will be useful to all genders and to both the child and adult consumer. 

1. A wind blocking arm protective garment, consisting essentially of: a one-piece garment consisting of an elongated tubular sleeve of knitted material that has been evenly ruched with a thread and tacked to remain stationary after ruching, said sleeve having a pair of opposite ends the bottom end for slipping over a hand and arm of a person and for receiving and enclosing the arm in said ruched sleeve up to the opposite and top end which is knitted ribbing. b) the end for slopping over a hand and arm is constructed as a knitted palm covering rib, a fingerless glove, a fingered glove or a mitten. c) the opposite and top end is knitted ribbing, the ribbing providing elasticity to hug the arm at the opposite/top end.
 2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the ruched portion of said one-piece garment is capable, of blocking wind that would enter the gap between a coat or jacket sleeve opening and the arm. 